Challenger Motor Freight announced that it will be purchasing 600 LCV-type trailers and close to 500 new truck tractors over the course of the next 18 months. The carrier claims that it wants to modernize its fleet and comply with North-American anti-pollution standards.

The company’s president, Dan Einwechter, also announced investments totaling millions of dollars to implement a fleet of trucks capable of carrying wind turbines. It appears that the market for this type of transportation is currently high.

The Challenger drivers with whom Teamsters organizers spoke claim that their employer is forcing them to finance the renewal of his fleet by cutting their working conditions.

“Mr. Einwechter has invested tens of millions of dollars in equipment, but not a single penny in his workers,” comments with irony Robert Bouvier, president of Teamsters Canada. “It’s yet again proof that human resources are not being given the importance they should be given by this company.”

The workers are insulted

To be able to renew its fleet of vehicles, a company such as Challenger needs to make a profit. It seems that the company will use the full amount of its net earnings to renew its equipment and that nothing will be awarded to those who are responsible for its success, namely the workers.

“The workers tell us that they are insulted,” explains Éric Laramée, organizer for Teamsters Canada. “Challenger’s management forced the workers to forego wage increases, allegedly to enable the company to survive the economic crisis. Soon after, the company announced the purchase of new vehicles.”

Examples that demonstrate the useful role played by the Teamsters in the trucking industry

Meanwhile, the workers of another transportation company—Kingsway—have received salary increases of 7% and their pension plan has been increased by 19%! 

The workers of Robert Transport have understood how crucial union representation is to defend their interests. Indeed, the transport company refused to honour the terms of the collective agreement it signed with the Teamsters. An arbitrator has just rendered a decision in favour of the union, and the employer will now have to retroactively pay the increases negotiated and agreed to.

Another example: The workers of Wilson’s Truck Lines recently chose the Teamsters Union despite pressures exerted by their employer to discourage them from doing so.

“The workers of Wilson’s Truck Lines, Robert Transport and Kingsway are without a doubt very thankful for being represented by a union,” points out Mr. Bouvier. “They know that they are protected from their employer’s undue pressures or arbitrary decisions.”

The Teamsters Union undertook an organizing campaign with Challenger workers last fall. Dozens of workers employed by this company contacted the Teamsters Union to let it know that they had had enough of their employer’s arbitrary decisions. Challenger workers are invited to visit the website specially created for this campaign at teamsters-challenger.ca.


The Teamsters Union represents 125,000 members in Canada in all trades. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with which Teamsters Canada is affiliated, has 1.4 million members in North America